Media Release, for immediate release, Wednesday 1 September

Plant To Plate Aotearoa Takes Out Top Award

Plant to Plate Aotearoa won the Supreme Award at the TrustPower Palmerston North Community Awards.

The Awards were announced and presented last night (Tuesday) at a function at the Palmerston North Convention Centre,

For winning the Supreme Award, Plant to Plate received a framed certificate, a trophy and $1,500 prize money. Plant to Plate now has the opportunity to represent the district at the 2010 TrustPower National Community Awards, which are being held in the Western Bay and Tauranga districts in March 2011. Plant to Plate will also be filmed by a TVNZ6 crew to feature in a new series called ‘Volunteer Power’.

Plant to Plate also won a six month subscription to Fundraising in New Zealand magazine, New Zealand's only monthly publication dedicated to all things fundraising.

In total, TrustPower has given away $5,000 to various community groups through the night’s Awards.

TrustPower Community Relations Representative Suzi Luff says what started out as a group of retired professional women who wanted to help children learn about nutrition in a hands-on way has led to establishing a clever initiative with many long term benefits for the community.

“Plant to Plate began with the community gardens concept and has been engineered to fit into local schools.

With the main messages for children being about sustainability, self-sufficiency and economic independence, Plant to Plate provides a free education service that teaches children about the life skills around growing food, cooking and eating. Plant to Plate even has an equipped and portable kitchen and the trained volunteers plan and set up the lessons.

In a world of commercial endeavours, the willingness of Plant to Plate’s volunteers to give their time, knowledge and resources is remarkable and the lessons taught will be beneficial for many Palmerston North students in years to come, “ says Miss Luff.

The competition for this year’s TrustPower Palmerston North Community Awards was tough with 80 groups nominated for the Awards, one of the best responses yet for the city.

Other winners at last night’s TrustPower Palmerston North Community Awards were:

Heritage and Environment

Winner: The Rugby Museum Society of New Zealand

Health and Well Being

Winner: Manawatu Multicultural Centre

Runner-Up: Refugee Services Volunteers

Commendation: Arohanui Hospice- Palmerston North Shop Volunteers

Arts and Culture

Winner: Unity Singers

Runner-Up: Te Kokonga Pouri Raranga Roopu (Highbury Weavers)

Commendation: Arts Recycling Centre

Sport and Leisure

Winner: Special Olympics Manawatu

Educational and Child/Youth Development

Winner: Palmerston North Junior Neighbourhood Support

Runner-Up: Palmerston North Youth Council

ends

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